Northern Ireland
=Introduction= Northern Ireland is a country which is part of the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km²), about a sixth of the island's total area. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west. Northern Ireland consists of six of the nine counties of the historic Irish province of Ulster. In the UK, it is generally known as one of the four Home Nations and is the only one that is not located on the island of Great Britain. Northern Ireland was established as a distinct administrative subdivision of the United Kingdom on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. For over 50 years it was the only part of the UK to have its own form of devolved government until it was suspended in 1972. Northern Ireland's legal system descends from the pre-1921 Irish legal system. It is based on common law. Northern Ireland is a distinct jurisdiction, separate from England and Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland was for many years the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict between those claiming to represent Nationalists, who are predominantly Roman Catholic, and those claiming to represent Unionists, who are predominantly Protestant. In general, Nationalists want the unification of Ireland, with Northern Ireland joining the rest of Ireland and Unionists want it to remain part of the United Kingdom. Protestants are in the majority in Northern Ireland, though Roman Catholics represent a significant minority. In general, Protestants consider themselves British and Catholics see themselves as Irish but there are some who see themselves as both British and Irish. In addition to UK citizenship, people from Northern Ireland are also entitled to Irish (i.e. Republic of Ireland) citizenship. The campaigns of violence have become known popularly as The Troubles. The majority of both sides of the community have had no direct involvement in the violent campaigns waged. Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) is an infantry regiment of the British Army which became operational in 1970, formed on similar lines as other British reserve forces with the operational task of countering "armed guerilla-type attacks", replacing the Ulster Special Constabulary ("B-Specials") in assisting with security duties within Northern Ireland. It is the largest infantry regiment in the :Category:British Army, formed with seven battalions and an extra four added within two years. The regiment consisted overwhelmingly of part-time volunteers until 1976 when a full time cadre was added. Recruiting from the local community at a time of intercommunal strife, it has often been accused of sectarian attitudes and collusion with loyalist paramilitary organisations. The regiment was intended to be nonpartisan, and it began with Catholic recruits accounting for 18% of membership. However, in time suspicion and disenchantment among the Catholic community grew, and Catholic membership settled at around 3%. UDR orbat * 1st (County Antrim) Battalion, formed 1 Apr. 1970 with HQ at Antrim. * 2nd (County Armagh) Battalion, formed 1 Apr. 1970 with HQ at Armagh. * 3rd (County Down) Battalion, formed 1 Apr. 1970 with HQ at Ballykinler. * 4th (County Fermanagh) Battalion, formed 1 Apr. 1970 with HQ at Enniskillen. * 5th (County Londonderry) Battalion, formed 1 Apr. 1970 with HQ at Ballykelly. * 6th (County Tyrone) Battalion, formed 1 Apr. 1970 with HQ at Omagh. * 7th (City of Belfast) Battalion, formed 1 Apr. 1970 with HQ at Belfast. * 8th (County Tyrone) Battalion, formed 1 Dec. 1971 with HQ at Dungannon. * 9th (County Antrim) Battalion, formed Jan. 1972. * 10th (City of Belfast) Battalion, formed Jan. 1972 with HQ at Belfast. * 11th (Craigavon) Battalion, formed Sep. 1972 with HQ at Portadown. * 1984 Reduced to nine battalions by amalgamations: 1st/9th (County Antrim) Battalion, 7th/10th (City of Belfast) Battalion. * 1991 Reduced to seven battalions by amalgamations: 2nd/11th (Craigavon) Battalion, 4th/6th (County Fermanagh and County Tyrone) Battalion. Ulster Defence Association (UDA) The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) is a loyalist paramilitary organization in Northern Ireland. Its main objective has been to reject unification of Ireland, seeking to do so through maintenance of the Act of Union. Its militant branch has operated under the name Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF). Its activities, which have included attacks against civilians as well as members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, were originally intended by the UDA as retaliatory acts for Irish Republican violence against Protestants in Northern Ireland. The UDA/UFF has also killed at least three Irish republican paramilitary members. Irish Republican Army (IRA) Officially the Provisional Irish Republican Army, the IRA is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that considers itself a direct continuation of the Irish Republican Army (the army of the Irish Republic, 1919-1921) that fought in the Irish War of Independence. The Provisionals' constitution establishes them as Óglaigh na hÉireann ("The Irish Volunteers") in the Irish language, which is also the official title of the Irish Defence Forces. The Provisional Irish Republican Army is sometimes referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the 'RA. The IRA's stated objective is to end "British rule in Ireland," and according to its Constitution, it wants "to establish an Irish Socialist Republic, based on the Proclamation of 1916." The organisation is classified as a proscribed terrorist group in the United Kingdom and as an illegal organisation in the Republic of Ireland. Unlike other paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland, it is not listed as an illegal organisation in the United States. Twilight War History (1st & 2nd Edition) 1997 Violent clashes between protestants and catholics get worse. Many catholics consider the police and Ulster Defence Regiment to be puppets of the protestants, and call for help from the Republic of Ireland. This call is answered as the Irish army moves into the border counties. 1998 The UDR managed to halt the Irish army's advance. As winter approached, both sides concentrated on feeding their people and the war effectively stopped, but the IRA started fighting a guerilla war. 1999 The IRA maintained its guerilla war, despite UDR and police attempts to break it. The Irish Army launched an unsuccesful attack in April, and the UDR counter-attacked in May, pushing the Irish back along the whole front. 2000 The Irish Army launched a surprise attack during the winter. Surprise allowed the Irish to make gains, but the weather worked against them, limiting their success. In the summer, the UDR launched an offensive, but made few gains. Category:Countries Category:United Kingdom